Sunday, August 2, 2015

While it’s been several seasons since I’ve been addicted to “24”, the mere mention of it in the news or elsewhere perks up my ears. The real-time show that depicts Presidential assassins, double-agent co-workers and repeatedly kidnapped family members — all in the same day — is really riveting. But, like a drug, it had to be cut off lest I let it completely consume me.

But suddenly it’s on my radar again — for a different reason. As a way of proving that this clever show is still cutting edge — it’s going green. Fox TV announced this week that the hit show’s seventh season will join the fight against global warming by reducing and offsetting the carbon emissions from their normally energy-draining production.

According to the Washington Post, the show’s electricity bills will go toward renewable-energy credits that will bring a share of wind, solar and water power to L.A.’s grid. A diesel-powered soundstage converted to electricity will lessen the show’s smog contribution, and location scouts will be tooling around the area in Priuses. Daily paperwork (such was scripts and production schedules) will be distributed via e-mail rather than hand delivered by car-driving assistants.

The ultimate goal? To have the season finale be completely carbon neutral.

Fox’s spokesperson Chris Anderson says the studio’s reasons for going public are truly altruistic. “We are publicizing ’24’s’ commitment to climate change for two reasons and two reasons only: to inspire the public to take global warming seriously and hopefully to motivate other studios to make changes to their production practices as well.”

But why just “24”, I wonder? If Fox is taking the steps to make a difference on one show, will they soon convert all of their productions to carbon neutral? That would show a massive commitment to climate change.